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LITTLE CLASSIC SERIES, il 


Little 

Black Sambo 
and 

Other Stories 


1 A FLANAGAN COMPANY 














































































































































The Little Classic Series 

The most popular works of standard authors and poets 
arranged for use in schools, with introductions, explanatory 
notes, biographical sketches, portraits, and illustrations. 

Also elementary stories of nature, myth, history, industry, 
geography, biography, and literature. The grading sug¬ 
gested has been extensively followed by teachers with very 
satisfactory results, but may be varied to suit special 
conditions. 

The books have been carefully edited, are clearly printed on 
good paper, and have extra strong paper cover. Each book 
in the LITTLE CLASSIC SERIES contains thirty-two pages. 


SEVEN CENTS PER COPY 

Twenty Copies for $1.20 


First and Second Grades 

No. 

2719 Aesop’s Fables. 

2713 Old Time Stories. 

2725 Favorite Mother Goose Rhymes. 

2707 First Steps in Reading. 

2701 Jack and the Beanstalk. 

2726 Favorite Mother Goose Jingles. 

2720 Little Red Riding Hood. 

2727 Story of Little Black Sambo. 

2708 Bunny Cottontail Stories. 

2728 Ten Little Indian Stories. 

2721 Hiawatha and Henry W. Longfel¬ 

low. 

2730 Twelve Little Indian Stories. 

2716 Bunny Boy. 

2731 The Jenny Wren Book. 

2704 Bob the Cat. 

2723 Whitter and His Snow-Bound. 

2732 The Bluebird Book. 

2717 Thanksgiving Stories. 

2733 Four Favorite Stories. 

2705 The Story of Two Little Rabbits. 

2724 The Three Misses Cottontail and 

King Rabbit. 

2734 My Shadow, and Other Poems. 

2718 Modern Fables. 

2735 My Treasures, and Other Poems. 

2706 Famous Poems of Famous Poets— 

First and Second Grades. 

2819 Squirrel and Other Animal Stori 


Second and Third Grades 

No. 

2736 Three Popular Stories. 

2714 The Story of Joseph. 

2807 Beauty and the Beast and Other 
Favorite Fairy Tales. 

2702 Susan Cottontail Stories. 

2802 Cinderella and Other Favorite 

Fairy Tales. 

2715 Robinson Crusoe. 

2738 Stories from Grimm. 

2729 Sixteen Little Indian Stories. 

2809 The Coming of the Christ-Child. 

2709 Our Three Little Sisters and Hia¬ 

watha. 

2803 Christmas Stories. 

2722 Pussy ^ Willow and other Tree 
Stories. 

2740 The Story of Peter Rabbit. 

2710 Stories About Animals. 

2810 The Little Story Reader. 

2711 Mr. and Mrs. Stout of Beaver D*m 

and How JackrabbitLost Hi*Ta£L 

2823 Stories About Birds. 

2712 The Tale of Bunny Cottontail— 

Abridged. 

2825 Who Stole the Bird’s Neat, and 

Other Poems. 

2824 Famous Poems of Famous Poets— 

For Third Grade. 

2826 The Robin Redbreast Book. 

2812 The Toyland of Santa Claus. 

2827 The Chickadee Book. 

2828 Brownie’s Ride and Brownie and 

the Cook. 

2829 Escape at Bedtime, and Other 
Poems. 

My Ship and I, and Other Poems. 


es. 2830 

PUBLISHED BY 

A. FLANAGAN COMPANY 
CHICAGO 




Little Black Sambo 

and 

Other Stories 


ADAPTED BY 

N. MOORE BANTA 


1922 

A. FLANAGAN COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


COPYRIGHT, 1922, BY A. FLANAGAN COMPANY 





© Cl A688893 


Printed in the United States of America 

NOV-4 '22 

\ 



Little Black Sambo and 
Other Stories 

LITTLE BLACK SAMBO 

Once upon a time there was a little black 
boy, and his name was Little Black Sambo. 

And his Mother was called Black Mumbo. 

And his Father was called Black Jumbo. 

And Black Mumbo made him a beautiful 
little Red Coat, and a pair of beautiful little 
Blue Trousers. 

And Black Jumbo went to the Bazaar, and 
bought him a beautiful Green Umbrella, and 
a lovely little Pair of Purple Shoes with Crim¬ 
son Soles and Crimson Linings. 

And then wasn’t Little Black Sambo 
grand? 

So he put on all his Fine Clothes, and went 
out for a walk in the Jungle. And by and 
by lie met a Tiger. And the Tiger said to 
him, “Little Black Sambo, I’m going to eat 
you up!” And Little Black Sambo said, 
“Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don’t eat me up, and 


I’ll give you my beautiful little Red Coat.” 
So the Tiger said, “Very well, I won’t eat 
you this time, but you must give me your 
me your beautiful little Blue Trousers.” So 
the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo’s 
beautiful little Blue Trousers, and went away 
saying, “Now I’m the grandest Tiger in the 
Jungle.” 

And Little Black Sambo went on, and by 
and by he met another Tiger, and it said to 
him, “Little Black Sambo, I’m going to eat 
you up!” And Little Black Sambo said, 
“Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don’t eat me up, and 
I’ll give you my beautiful little Blue 
Trousers.” So the Tiger said, “Very well, I 
won’t eat you this time, but you must give 
me your beautiful Blue Trousers.” So the 
Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo’s beautiful 
little Blue Trousers, and went away saying, 
“Now I’m the grandest Tiger in the Jungle.” 

And Little Black Sambo went on and by 
and by he met another Tiger, and it said to 
him, “Little Black Sambo, I’m going to eat 
you up!” And Little Black Sambo said, 
“Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don’t eat me up, and 
I’ll give you my beautiful little Purple Shoes 
with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings.” 

But the Tiger said, “What use would your 

4 


shoes'be to me! I’ve got four feet, and 
you’ve got only two; you haven’t got enough 
shoes for me,” 

But Little Black Sambo said, “You could 
wear them on your ears. ’ ’ 

“So I could,” said the Tiger. “That’s a 
very good idea. Give them to me, and I 
won’t eat you this time.” 

So the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo’s 
beautiful little Purple Shoes with Crimson 
Soles and Crimson Linings, and went aw r ay 
saying, “Now I’m the grandest Tiger in the 
Jungle.” 

And by and by Little Black Sambo met 
another Tiger, and it said to him, “Little 
Black Sambo, I’m going to eat you up!” 
And Little Black Sambo said, “Oh! Please, 
Mr. Tiger, don’t eat me up, and I’ll give you 
my beautiful Green Umbrella.” But the 
Tiger said, “How can I carry an umbrella, 
when-I need all my paws for walking with?” 

“You could tie a knot in your tail and 
carry it that way,” said Little Black Sambo. 
“So I could,” said the Tiger. “Give it to 
me, and I won’t eat you this time.” So he 
got poor Little Black Sambo’s beautiful 
Green Umbrella, and went away saying, 
“Now I’m the grandest Tiger in the Jungle.” 

5 


And poor Little Black Sambo went' away 
crying, because the cruel Tigers had taken 
all his fine clothes. 

Presently he heard a horrible noise that 
sounded like “ Gr-r-r-r-rrrrrrr, ' ' and it got 
louder and louder. “Oh! dear!” said Little 
Black Sambo, “there are all the Tigers 
coming back to eat me up! What shall I 
do?” So he ran quickly to a palm-tree, and 
peeped round it to see what the matter was. 

And there he saw all the Tigers fighting, 
and disputing which of them was the grand¬ 
est. And at last they all got so angry that 
they jumped up and took off all the fine 
clothes, and began to tear each other with 
their claws, and bite each other with their 
great big white teeth. 

And they came, rolling and tumbling right 
to the foot of the very tree where Little Black 
Sambo was hiding, but he jumped quickly in 
behind the umbrella. And the Tigers all 
caught hold of each others' tails, as they 
wrangled and scrambled, and so they found 
themselves in a ring round the tree. 

Then, when the Tigers were very wee and 
very far away, Little Black Sambo jumped 
up, and called out, “Oh! Tigers! why have 
you taken off all your nice clothes? Don't 
6 


you want them any more?” But the Tigers 
only answered, “ Gr-r-rrrrr! ” 

Then Little Black Sambo said, “If you 
want them, say so, or Ill take them away.” 
But the Tigers would not let go of each 
others ’ tails, and so they could only say, 
‘ 6 Gr-r-r-r-rrrrrrr! ’’ 

So Little Black Sambo put on all his fine 
clothes again and walked off. 

And the Tigers were very, very angry, but 
still they would not let go of each others 9 
tails. And they were so angry, that they ran 
round the tree, trying to eat each other up, 
and they ran faster and faster, till they were 
whirling round so fast that you couldn’t see 
their legs at all. 

And they ran still faster and faster and 
faster, till they all just melted away, and 
there was nothing left but a great big pool 
of melted butter (or “ghi,” as it is called in 
India) round the foot of the tree. 

Now Black Jumbo was just coming home 
from his work, with a great big brass pot in 
his arms, and when he saw what was left of 
all the Tigers he said, “Oh! what lovely 
melted butter! I’ll take that home to Black 
Mumbo for her to cook with.” 

So he put it all into the great big brass pot, 

7 


and took it home to Black Mumbo to cook 
with. 

When Black Mumbo saw the melted butter, 
wasn’t she pleased! “Now,” said she, “we’ll 
all have pancakes for supper!” 

So she got flour and eggs and milk and 
sugar and butter, and she made a huge big 
plate of most lovely pancakes. And she fried 
them in the melted butter which the Tigers 
had made, and they were just as yellow and 
brown as little Tigers. 

And then they all sat down to supper. And 
Black Mumbo ate Twenty-seven pancakes. 

And Black Jumbo ate Fifty-five. 

But Little Black Sambo ate a Hundred and 
Sixty-nine, because he was so hungry. 

THE GRATEFUL SWAN 

One day there was a poor peddler trudging 
along a dusty road. Upon his back he carried 
a very heavy pack. 

All gt once he felt something come down, 
flippity-flop, right on his pack. He stood 
still. He looked east and he looked west. 
Then he looked north and he looked south. 
He could not see anything. He was fright¬ 
ened. First he turned red, then he turned 


white, then he bent his back lower and 
travelled ahead. 

The sun was going down when he entered 
his door. He soon loosened the straps from 
his shoulders. 

Then up sprang his wife crying, “ Bless 
your heart, John, here is a swan sitting atop 
of your pack. 

“A wing like a lily, 

A beak like a rose; 

Now good luck go with her 
Wherever she goes.” 

“Dear me,” cried the peddler, “it certainly 
is good luck.” He reached down and picked 
the swan up, and said, “What fulness of 
crop! No wonder I felt her when she came 
down, flippity-flop, upon my pack. Why, my 
good wife, I have carried the weight of this 
bird on my pack for ten miles.” 

“Perhaps,” the wife answered, “she will 
lay a golden egg to pay you. But look, John, 
bless me, she has broken her leg.” 

Then the peddler’s wife went to the cup¬ 
board. Here she had placed the supper for 
John and herself. She brought the best part 
of this supper and fed it to the swan. 

“No wonder,” said John, “that she wanted 
to ride on my pack. Poor thing, she would 

9 


not want to fly when her leg hurt her so 
much. We must do what we can to cure her 
leg.” 

Then John ran straight to his pack for a 
bandage, while Jannet, the good wife, broke 
splints from an old fan. 

They didn’t think any longer about a 
golden egg. They were too interested in 
curing the poor swan. All tenderly they held 
her and bound up the leg. 

Of course two such good nurses effected a 
cure, but when the leg got well it was stiff. 
Even so, that was better than no leg at all. 

All summer they lived together; the swan, 
Jannet, and John. 

At length, when the leaves 
In the garden grew brown, 

The bird came one day 
With her head hanging down; 

And told her kind master 
And mistress so dear, 

She was going to leave them 
Perhaps for a year. 

“What mean you?” cried John. 

“What mean you?” cried Jannet. “We 
cannot live without you. Please do not go 
away!” 


10 



“Oh, I will come back/’ said the swan. 
“You will see that I will come back here 
again/ ’ 

And so, with the tears 
Rolling down, drip-a-drop, 

She lifted her snowy wings, 
Flippity-flop! 

She rose up in the air, and stretching her 
legs and her neck she sailed away. John and 
Jannet stood looking, till all they could see 
was a little white speck. 

“Ah,” said Jannet, “I am sorry to see her 
go away.” 

“She is a beautiful bird,” said John. 

“A wing like a lily, 

A beak like a rose; 

And good luck go with her 
Wherever she goes!” 

Then came a long winter, but it finally 
passed away as all winters do. When the 
winter was gone and the daffodils were be¬ 
ginning to show their bright heads, Jannet 
began to make her garden. 

One day when she was in the garden mak¬ 
ing flower beds she saw a speck of white in 
the distance. She shaded her eyes with her 
11 


hand and looked steadily for a moment. Sure 
enough the white speck was coming nearer! 
There was now no doubt about it. It was the 
swan returning. Then it sailed right up to 
the garden path and came down, flippity-flop. 

One moment of wonder, then Jannet cried, 
“Oh John, here is our swan just as true as 
you are a living man. Do look at her sleek 
feathers. She has just come from the south. 
But what is this shining thing she is carrying 
in her mouth ?” 

Then the swan came near and dropped the 
shining thing into Jannet’s nice blue apron. 

“A diamond!” cried John. “As sure as 
the world, it is a fine diamond .’ 9 

Then the grateful swan held up her 
wounded leg and danced her great wings 
about, flippity-flop, as if she were saying, “I 
am now paying you for mending my leg.” 

“I never beheld such a bird 
In my life!” 

Cried Johnny, the peddler; 

“Nor I!” said his wife. 

THE GOOSE 

It was a wild, stormy day. The wind was 
blowing a gale. It blew around a tumble- 
12 


down house, until the roof almost blew in. 

Inside this old hut lived a poor old woman. 
Her clothes were so ragged they scarcely held 
together. 

Every time the wind howled, she would 
shiver and shake. What little fire she had 
finally went out. There was nothing to eat 
in the house. 

The poor woman heard a knock at the door. 
She hurried to open it, for she thought it 
might be someone who could not stand the 
cold w T ind. 

There stood a man with a goose under his 
arm. 

“Take this goose and keep you warm,” 
said the stranger.—And walked away. 

“Why, what in the world!” began the old 
woman. But the stranger was gone. 

The woman caught the goose by the leg. 
As she did so, a golden egg fell to the floor. 

She dropped the goose, and snatched up the 
egg. Then she ran to her neighbors. 

“Look here!” she panted. “A stranger 
knocked at my door. When I opened it he 
handed me a goose, and then he left. As soon 
as I took the goose, she let fall this golden 
egg!” 

Much excited, she went home again. Then 

13 


she went to the store and bought some w r arm 
clothing and something to eat. 

Every day the goose laid a golden egg. So 
day by day the woman grew richer. She now 
had fine clothes, and plenty to eat. She even 
had maids to wait upon her. 

The grave churchwarden bowed to her 
now, and the Parson smirked and nodded. 

Now the goose would cackle every time she 
laid an egg. And every day her cackling 
grew louder. This annoyed the old lady. 

She forgot from Whom all her food and 
wealth and fine clothes came. 

“Go! Take that goose, and wring her 
neck!” she cried angrily to her servant. “I 
will listen no longer to that horrid clacking 
and cackling! Go! Take her away!” 

Then yelped the cur, and yawled the cat; 
Ran Gaffer, stumbled Gammer, 

The goose flew this way and flew that, 
And filled the house with clamor. 

And then the door opened.—And in walked 
the stranger. He took the goose upon his 
arm. He was very angry. “Whether you 
starve or freeze now, it doesn’t make any 
difference to me. I tried to help you once, 
and this is how you repay me.” 

14 


Off he went with the goose under his arm. 

Then the wind began to howl. It shook the 
house until the rafters trembled. The glass 
blew in—the fire blew out—a whirlwind came 
and cleared the larder. 

All the servants ran away from the house. 
The old woman was again left alone. She 
cried out, “Away with the goose, and God 
forget the stranger!” 

As soon as she had said these words, she 
was again lean and poor, and her rags scarce 
held together. She was just the same poor 
old woman as she was before the stranger 
came with the goose that laid the golden eggs. 

DAN AND DIMPLE, AND HOW THEY 
QUARRELED 

Dan and Dimple had been playing all after¬ 
noon. But they were growing tired of their 
play. 

“I wish we could take the horse out for a 
ride,” said Dan. 

“Mother never would let us,” answered 
Dimple. 

“But it would be lots of fun. He is such 
a fine horse. I like his pretty color,” said 
Dan. 

“I like his pretty gray tail,” said Dimple. 

15 


“Ho! Ho!” laughed Dan. “His tail isn’t 
gray. It’s sorrel.” 

“What are you talking about, Dan. Of 
course it’s gray.” 

“Gray! It’s as gray as mother’s shawl— 
and that’s red!” 

“I tell you it is gray!” screamed Dimple, 
very angry now. 

“And I tell you it’s red!” shouted Dan, 
who had grown angry, too. 

Then Dimple struck Dan, and Dan struck 
back at Dimple. 

J ust then Mother came hurrying out. 
Dimple sobbed out the story. 

“Why, you foolish little people. If you 
would only run down to the stable, you could 
settle the question at once.” 

So down they rushed—tears and blows for¬ 
gotten. 

Soon they came running back, all aglee 
with laughter. And what do you think they 
shouted?— 

“It’s BLACK! It’s BLACK!” 

THE WISE FAIRY 

Once, in a rough, wild country, 

On the other side of the sea, 


16 


There lived a dear little fairy, 

And her home was in a tree. 

A dear little, queer little fairy, 

And as rich as she could be. 

To northward and to southward, 

She could overlook the land, 

And that was why she had her house 
In a tree, you understand. 

For she was the friend of the friendless, 
And her heart was in her hand. 

And when she saw poor women 
Patiently, day by day, 

Spinning, spinning, and spinning 
Their lonesome lives away, 

She would hide in the flax of their distaffs 
A lump of gold, they say. 

And when she saw poor ditchers, 

Knee-deep in some wet dyke, 

Digging, digging, and digging, 

To their very graves, belike, 

She would hide a shining lump of gold 
Where their spades would be sure to strike. 

And when she saw poor children 
Their goats from the pastures take, 

17 


Or saw.them milking and milking, 

Till their arms were ready to break, 

What a splashing in their milking-pails 
Her gifts of gold would make! 

* 

Sometimes in the night, a fisher 
Would hear her sweet low call, 

And all at once a salmon of gold 
Right out of his net would fall; 

But what I have to tell you 
Is the strangest thing of all. 

If any ditcher, or fisher, 

Or child, or spinner old, 

Bought shoes for his feet, or bread to eat, 
Or a coat to keep from the cold, 

The gift of the good old fairy 
Was always trusty gold. 

But if a ditcher, or fisher, 

Or spinner, or child so gay, 

Bought jewels, or wine, or silks so fine, 

Or staked his pleasure at play, 

The fairy’s gold in his very hold 
Would turn to a lump of clay. 

i 

So, by and by the people 
Got open their stupid eyes: 

18 


“We must learn to spend to some good end,” 

They said, “if-we are wise; 

’Tis not in the gold we waste or hold, 

That a golden blessing lies.” 

—Alice Cary 

BARBARA BLUE 

There was an old woman 
Named Barbara Blue, 

But not the old woman 
Who lived in a shoe, 

And didn’t know what 
With her children to do. 

Barbara Blue lived all alone. Not a chick 
nor a child had she. All she had was a little 
dog to keep her company. 

But the little dog wasn’t very happy be¬ 
cause he didn’t get enough to eat. Barbara 
Blue would often give him only one bone a 
week! 

Nobody liked Barbara Blue. She didn’t 
talk much, and people said it was because she 
was too stingy to even speak! 

She made her living by selling apple-tarts. 
And she made them tart, indeed. You see, 
she bought the sour apples because they were 
cheaper. Then she wouldn’t use much sugar, 

19 . 


because “• Sugar costs money/ ’ she said. 

They were so sour that when the children 
ate them their mouths would smart. 

One day Barbara Blue made a new batch 
of tarts. She put even less sugar than usual 
in them. 

She took a big basket and filled it way up 
to the top with tarts. She put the basket in 
her cart, and hitched up the old horse. Then 
off they started to town. 

As she was going along, she met a farmer. 
This farmer was a very generous man. 

“Good morning, Barbara Blue,” he called 
to her. 

“Good-mornin’,” she answered crossly. 

“I see you have just made some apple- 
tarts,” said the farmer. 

“Yes,” answered Barbara Blue briefly. 

“Well,” went on the farmer, “I have some 
lovely, sweet apples in my orchard. They 
would make excellent tarts. All the people 
like them.” 

“What do you sell them for?” asked Bar¬ 
bara Blue. 

“Why, if you want only 
A bushel or two,” 

Said the farmer, “I don’t mind 
To give them to you.” 

20 


Barbara Blue was so surprised she couldn’t 
speak for a minute or two. 

4< Give them to me!” she finally gasped. 
You see, Barbara Blue had never given away 
anything in her life. She didn’t know how 
much fun it is. 

“Why, yes,” said the farmer. “If you will 
just give me one of your tarts, I’ll show you 
the orchard. And then you can help your¬ 
self.” 

Now, Barbara Blue had a great, big basket 
full of tarts. She had them all sizes, and 
some were nice big ones. But she picked out 
the smallest one she could find. It was 
burned at the top. She handed this to the 
farmer. Then she said, “I haven’t time to 
stop, ” and away she went, hippity-hop! 

Barbara Blue waited until one night when 
it was snowing. She had thought of a 
scheme, and she didn’t want anybody to see 
her. 

She took the old cart and horse, and started 
toward the farmer’s. It was snowing so fast 
she knew the farmer wouldn’t ever see her. 

She came to the orchard. And Barbara 
Blue smiled with satisfaction. What beau¬ 
tiful apples were on the trees! They looked 
so pretty hanging on the branches in their 
21 


shining red coats. 

Barbara Blue got busy. Instead of the two 
bushels the farmer had so kindly told her she 
could have, she took twenty! Now what do 
you think of that? 

She filled her cart full. And then she 
heaped it till not another apple would stay 
on. 

Then she climbed into the cart. “ Giddy- 
ap!” she said, and off they started. 

Now, the cart was so full that every once 
in a while an apple or two would fall off. 
Every time one fell, Barbara Blue would hop 
down and pick it up. Then she would climb 
back up, and away they would go, hippity- 
liop! 

Her horse now would stumble, 

And now he would fall, 

And where the high river-bank 
Sloped like a wall, 

Sheer down, they went over it, 

Apples and all! 

THE HAPPY LITTLE WIFE 

Once upon a time there lived a man named 
Gudhand, who had only one cow. He drove 
this cow to town to sell her. He was gone all 
22 


day. When he returned home his good wife 
met him at the door. 

“Now, Gudhand,” said she, “have you sold 
the cow you took to town this morning? 

“I am sure you did and have the silver in 
your pocket now. I don’t need to ask you. 
You don’t need to tell me, for you look so 
cheerful I know that you have done right 
well.” 

“Well! I did not exactly sell her, 

Nor give her away, of course; 

But I’ll tell you what I did, good wife, 

I swapped her for a horse.” 

'“A horse? Oh, Gudhand, you have done 
just what will please me best. We can have 
a carriage now and we will hitch up the horse 
and drive around in fine style.” 

“Nay, not so fast, my good dame, 

We shall not want a gig: 

I had not ridden half a mile 

Till I swapped my horse for a pig.” 

“That’s just the thing,” she answered, “I, 
myself, would have done. We can now have 
plenty of bacon to put upon the shelf, and 
23 


when our neighbors come to dine with us we 
shall have plenty to eat. 

u There is no need that we should have a 
horse and carriage, and ride out in style, but 
there is need that we should have good things 
to place upon the table.” 

“Alack! alack!” said Gudhand, 

“I fear you’ll change your note, 

When I tell you I haven’t got the pig— 
I swapped him for a goat.” 

“Now, bless us,” cried the good wife. 
“You manage things so well. I don’t know 
what I should ever do with a pig. It would 
be sure to get out of the pen; and if we should 
make it into bacon, and put it upon the shelf, 
people would say we are greedy. The folks 
would point to us and say, ‘They eat up all 
they’ve got.’ 

“But a good milk goat, ah, that’s the thing. 
I’ve wanted a milk goat all my life. Now 
we’ll have both milk and cheese,” said the 
happy little wife. 

“Nay, not so fast,” said Gudhand, 
“You make too long a leap; 

When I found I couldn’t drive my goat 
I swapped him for a sheep.” 

24 


44 A sheep, my dearl You must have tried 
to suit me all the time. A goat would be so 
very hard to keep. It would climb over the 
fence and run away. It surely would plague 
me a great deal, but a sheep—the wool will 
make us clothes. We shall not be cold this 
winter. Run out and build a fold for him 
this very night.” 

44 Nay, wife, it isn’t I that cares 
If he be penned or loosed: 

I do not own the sheep at all, 

I swapped him for a goose.” 

4 4 There, Gudhand, I am so relieved. It 
would be a great deal of work to clip and 
wash and pick the wool. It makes me weary 
to think of the work I should have in spin¬ 
ning and weaving our clothes. It is cheaper, 
too, to buy our clothes than to make them up 
at home. Then I haven’t a carding-comb nor 
a spinning wheel. 

4 4 But a goose—I love the taste of goose. 
Nice fat goose, roasted brown is very hard to 
beat, and then we shall have pillows and 
feather beds. You couldn’t have done better, 
my dear Gudhand.” 


25 


“Now stop a bit,” cried Gudhand, 
“Your tongue runs like a clock; 

The goose is neither here nor there, 

I swapped him for a cock.” 

“Dear me, you manage everything just to 
my own liking. WeTd know nov T when to get 
up. The cock will crow and wake us early. 
We ’ll be sure to rise before the sun. 

“A goose would be quite troublesome for 
me to stuff and roast, and then our pillows 
and our beds are already as soft as we can 
wish.” 


“Well, soft or hard,” said Gudhand, 
“I guess they’ll have to do; 

And that we’ll have to wake at morn, 
Without the crowing, too! 

“For you know I couldn’t travel 
All day with naught to eat; 

So I took a shilling for my cock, 

And bought myself some meat.” 

“That was the wisest thing of all,” 
Said the good wife, fond and true; 

“You do just after my own heart, 
Whatever thing you do. 

26 


“We do not want a cock to crow, 

Nor want a clock to strike; 

Thank God that we may lie in bed 
As long now as we like!” 

And then she took him by the beard 
That fell about his throat, 

And said, “While you are mine, want 
Nor goose, nor swine, nor goat!” 

And so the wife kissed Gudhand, 

And Gudhand kissed his wife; 

And they promised to each other 
To be all in all through life. 

THE ENVIOUS WREN 

Up in a big tree lived a tiny wren. Down 
on the ground lived a fine, fat hen. 

Every morning, noon, and night the far¬ 
mer’s wife would come and throw out wheat 
and corn, and other good food for the hen 
to eat. 

Biddy, for that was the hen’s name, would 
come running when she heard the farmer’s 
wife call. Clucking loudly, she would eat her 
breakfast, dinner, or supper, as the case 
might be. 

She was a happy, contented body. Because 

27 



she ate so much, and was so contented, she 
grew very plump. 

Now, the tiny wren had noticed that the 
farmer’s wife would come out three times a 
day, and feed Biddy. At first the wren 
thought how fortunate Biddy was. Then she 
began to think it wasn’t fair. 

“Why,” she said, “I have to fly around, 
and hunt every single worm or crumb I eat. 
No wonder I’m thin and small. If someone 
would feed me, like they do Biddy, I’d be just 
as plump and big as she is. 

“I don’t see why she can walk around and 
play all day, and then have her meals brought 
to her. I have to worry about every meal— 
nobody ever gives me anything!” 

And the more the tiny wren thought about 
it, the angrier she became. Finally, she re¬ 
solved to go down and visit Biddy. She 
thought that if she hopped about on the 
ground, somebody would feed her, too. 

So down she flew—straight to the hen. 

Biddy was very polite, and said, “Won’t 
you stop to tea?” 

“Thank you,” said the tiny wren. “I shall 
be delighted to stay and have tea with you.” 

They did not have long to wait, which 
suited the tiny wren very well. 

28 


And soon Biddy’s supper was sent; 

But scarce stopping to taste, 

The poor bird left in haste, 

And this was the reason she went: 

When the farmer’s kind dame 
To the poultry yard came, 

She said—and the wren shook with fright— 
“Biddy’s so fat she’ll do 
For a pie or a stew, 

And I guess I shall kill her to-night.” 

A LEGEND OF THE NORTHLAND 

Away, away in the Northland, 

Where the hours of the day are few, 

And the nights are so long in winter, 

They cannot sleep them through; 

Where they harness the swift reindeer 
To the sledges, when it snows; 

And the children look like bear’s cubs 
In their funny, furry clothes: 

They tell them a curious story— 

I don’t believe ’tis true; 

And yet you may learn a lesson 
If I tell the tale to you. 

29 


Once, when the good Saint Peter 
Lived in the world below, 

And walked about preaching, 

Just as he did, you know; 

He came to the door of a cottage, 

In traveling round the earth, 

Where a woman was making cakes, 

And baking them on the hearth; 

And being faint with fasting, 

For the day was almost done, 

He asked her, from her store of cakes, 
To give him a single one. 

So she made a very little cake, 

But as it baking lay, 

She looked at it, and thought it seemed 
Too large to give away. 

Therefore she kneaded another, 

And still a smaller one; 

But it looked, when she turned it over, 
As large as the first had done. 

Then she took a tiny scrap of dough, 
And rolled and rolled it flat; 

And baked it thin as a wafer— 

But she couldn’t part with that. 

30 


For she said, “My cakes that seem too small 
When I eat of them myself, 

Are yet too large to give away.” 

So she put them on the shelf. 

Then good Saint Peter grew angry, 

For he was hungry and faint; 

And surely such a woman 

Was enough to provoke a saint. 

And he said, “You are far too selfish 
To dwell in a human form, 

To have both food and shelter, 

And fire to keep you warm. 

“Now, you shall build as the birds do, 

And shall get your scanty food 

By boring, and boring, and boring, 

All day in the hard dry wood.” 

Then up she went through the chimney, 
Never speaking a word, 

And out of the top flew a woodpecker, 

For she was changed to a bird. 

She had a scarlet cap on her head, , 

And that was left the same, 

But all the rest of her clothes were burned 
Black as a coal in the flame. 

31 


And every country school-boy 
Has seen her in the wood; 

Where she lives in the trees till this very day, 
Boring and boring for food. 

And this is the lesson she teaches: 

Live not for yourself alone, 

Lest the needs you will not pity 
Shall one day be your own. 

Give plenty of what is given to you, 

Listen to pity’s call; 

Don’t think the little you give is great, 

And the much you get is small. 

Now, my little boy, remember that, 

And try to be kind and good, 

When you see the woodpecker’s sooty dress, 
And see her scarlet hood. 

You mayn’t be changed to a bird though you 
live 

As selfishly as you can; 

But you will be changed to a smaller thing— 
A mean and selfish man. 

—Phoebe Cary. 


32 


The Little Classic Series 


\ 


The most popular works of standard authors and poets 
arranged for use in schools, with introductions, explanatory 
notes, biographical sketches, portraits, and illustrations. 
Also elementary stories of nature, myth, history, industry, 
geography, biography, and literature. The grading sug¬ 
gested has been extensively followed by teachers with very 
satisfactory results, but may be varied to suit special 
conditions. 

The books have been carefully edited, are clearly printed on 
good paper, and have extra strong paper cover. Each book 
in the LITTLE CLASSIC SERIES contains thirty-two pages. 


SEVEN CENTS PER COPY 


Twenty Copies for $1.20 


Third and Fourth Grades 

No. 

2831 Aunt Martha’s Corner Cupboard— 

Part I. 

2832 Aunt Martha’s Corner Cupboard— 

Part II. 

2833 Aunt Martha’s Corner Copboard— 

Part III. 

2808 How Little Cedric Became a 
Knight. 

2835 The Little Brown Pitcher. 

2737 The Golden Bird and Seven Ravens. 

2836 The Little Brown Man. 

2821 Longfellow and Hiawatha. 

2837 The Queer Little Tailor. 

2815 Stories of Old New England. 

2839 Drakestail and Choosing a King. 
2739 Daffydowndilly and the Golden 

Touch. 

2903 A Christmas Carol. 

2822 Stories of Sir Launcelot and Other 

King Arthur Stories. 

2840 Story of Leather, Boots and Shoes. 

2816 The Story of a Beehive. 

2922 Miss Alcott’s Girls. 

2741 Two Brownie Parties. 

2841 The Story of King Corn. 

2817 Stories of *76. 

2925 The Story of Coal. 

2805 Some of Our Birds. 

2926 The Story of Wheat. 

2818 Arthur, The Hero King. 

2927 The Story of King Cotton. 

2806 King Arthur Stories. 


Fourth and Fifth Grades 

No. 

2928 The Story of Sugar. 

2919 The Story of Daniel Boone. 

2929 The Story of Lumber. 

2913 American Naval Heroes. 

2930 The Story of Iron. 

2834 Little Goody Two Shoes. 

2931 Night Before Christmas and Other 

Christmas Poems. 

2907 Our Pilgrim Forefathers. 

2932 The Story of Granite, Copper and 

Zinc. 

2901 The Story of Abraham Lincoln. 

2933 The Story of Marble and Slate. 

2920 The Story of Washington. 

2934 The Story of Fruit. 

2914 The Story of Benjamin Franklin. 

2935 Norse Heroes. 

2908 A Longfellow Booklet. 

2936 Norse Myths. 

2838 The Bluest of Blue Birds. 

2937 Norse Legends. 

2902 The Norse Seamen and Christo¬ 

pher Columbus. 

2915 The Story of the Revolution. 

2909 Henry Hudson and Other Explor¬ 

ers. 

2916 Miss Alcott’s Boys. 

2910 Orioles, Bobolinks and other Birds. 
2923 Famous Poems of Famous Poets— 

For Fourth and Fifth Grades. 

2917 Grace Darling and Florence Night¬ 

ingale* 


PUBLISHED BY 

A. FLANAGAN COMPANY 

CHICAGO 






LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 


The Little Cla 

The most popular works of stanc ® M3 5 ^ 

arranged for use in schools, with in '* 

notes, biographical sketches, port; ’ •' 

Also elementary stories of nature, H 

geography, biography, and literati 

gested has been extensively followe .» . 

satisfactory results, but may be ' it 

conditions. 



The books have been carefully edited, are clearly printed on 
good paper, and have extra strong paper cover. Each book 
in the LITTLE CLASSIC SERIES contains thirty-two pages. 


SEVEN CENTS PER COPY 


Twenty Copies for $1.20 


Fifth and Sixth Grades 

No. 

2938 The Story of Gold and Silver. 

2911 The Story of Jeanne (Joan)D’Arc. 

3020 The Story of Our Flag. 

2923 Famous Poems of Famous Poets— 

For Fourth and Fifth Grades. 

2939 The Story of Oil. 

2905 The Three Golden Apples. 

2940 Longfellow’s Poems. 

2924 The Story of Electricity. 

3002 Rab and His Friends. 

2918 William McKinley. 

3021 The Great Stone Face. 

2912 The Discovery of America. 

2943 The Story of Paper, Pens, Pencils, 

etc. 

3019 The Story of Steam. 

2944 The Story of Printing. 

3013 Father Marquette. 

2945 The Story of Newspapers and 

Books. 

3007 The Miraculous Pitcher. 

3025 The Story of Robinhood. 

3001 The Story of La Salle. 

Sixth and Seventh Grades 

No. 

3026 The Story of Motors. 

3014 Famous Poems of Famous Poets— 

For Sixth Grade. 

3016 Rip Van Winkle and Author's Ac¬ 
count of Himself. 

3008 The King of The Golden River. 

3027 The Story of Glass. 

2941 The Golden Fleece. 

3028 The Meat-Packing Industry. 

2942 Whittier's Poems. 

3029 Tennyson's Poems. 

3015 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. 

3030 Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare— 

Part I. 

3031 Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare— 

Part II. 


No. 

3009 The Pied Piper of Hamlin and 

Other Poems. 

3011 The Song of Hiawatha—Abridged. 

3003 The Snow-I mage. 

3032 Primitive Travel and Transporta¬ 

tion. 

3022 The Courtship of Miles Standish. 

3033 The Story of Ships and Shipping. 
3024 Famous Poems of Famous Poets 

For Seventh Grade. 

3034 Ocean Routes and Navigation. 

Seventh and Eighth Grades 

No. 

3035 American Railway Systems. 

3018 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. 

3010 Evangeline. 

3036 Horatius at the Bridge, and Other 

Poems. 

3012 The Cotter's Saturday Night and 

Other Poems. 

3037 Lowell’s Poems. 

3004 Thanatopsis and Other Poems. 

3006 The Deserted Village (Goldsmith) 

and Gray's Elegy. 

3038 Washington's Farewell Address 

and Other Papers. 

3122 The Vision of Sir Launfal and 
Other Poems. 

3039 Prisoner of Chillon and Other 

Poems. 

3017 Snow-Bound and the Corn Song. 
3115 The Magna Charta. 

3040 Sir Roger De Coverley Papers. 

3041 Carrying the U. S. Mail. 

3108 Speeches by Lincoln. 

Enoch Arden. 

Sohrab and Rustum. 

Navigating the Air—Electric Rail¬ 
ways. 

Famous Poems of Famous Poets— 
Eighth Grade. 


3005 

3101 

3042 

3107 


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A. FLANAGAN COMPANY 

CHICAGO 















